AUCKLAND ACTIVITIES.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 50, 23 February 1912, Page 10

AUCKLAND ACTIVITIES.

Much to the regret of the Auckland Vranch, otir secretary, Cumiade M. J. Bavage, litis resigued his office —"owing to a complication of circumstances," ©mr comrade puts it. We trust that those circumstances aro not such as will take Savage uwa.y from Auckland —wo know they will tint take him from (Socialism— but Auckland would rather not spare him at the present time. '1 he •ppointmeiit of a successor has been left over until next business meeting. In the meantime, F. Williams, assist-•nt-secretai-N, is doing duty. Comrade 11. Al. Fit-Gerald lectured in. the Opera House to a good audience «n February 11, on "Some Facts about the Bible." The lecture was well delivered, and contained some very interesting facts about that very remarkable book. . Comrade Hartley has gone to Wailu. The falling-off in the attendances at the Opera Houso, which caused Hartley to lament, ceased, and the holidays feeing over and Edward's fame commencing to spread, the audiences began to grow again. We believe that, had be been with us in the winter instead «f the summer, he would have been lecturing to full houses. Wo wish especially to mention the "Talk about Books" which Comrade Hartley gave in tho Federal Hall tho night before he Vent avvav. Socialism is somewhat of ft dry subject of itself, and that talk «bout books was a green and beautiful •asis. To the comrades wherever Commdo Hartley is for a few weeks I say: Get him to gi\-3 "A Talk about Books. If you do not, you will miss a treat. Edwaid knows books, and ran talk about them. We would have liked to kave heard from him a little more concerning the literature of Socialism, but then, we would have liked to have fceard him speak of Dickens, or Meredith, or Shakespeare, or any of the Others he mentioned. We could have •moved listening to him at least one night on each of these authors, but ther was only one night for all of them. Edward Hartley's 'Jalk about Books" was to mc what "Rookland in "The Worker" is to mc, "cream amongst cream." Waihi boys, get Edward to talk about books, and then got the books he talks about, and life in Waihi will lose its dullness. Tlie Magistrate's Court was fhe scene of a fiasco the other day, when Comrade Wise was before tile "beak" tor not registering for service with the military. The officers responsible tor Wise being there struck a snag that time, and the case lapsed. The branch has lately undertaken more propaganda work. Meetings are bold on Saturday nights in the open, and are well attended. Some ot the boys who were "dumb dogs who could not bark" a year ago are fast becoming good speakers, and are able to hold |he attention and carry conviction to tlie minds of their listeners. Meetings are also held in the Federal Hall on Tuesday nights, and are proving quite a miceess, both financially and from the point of view of propaganda, as well as affording some of our new speakers an excellent opportunity for practice. It was said that the Socialist Party was a one-man show, but the mantle of one man seems to have fallen upon the should*rs of several, and they are bearing it manfully. New Zealand will yet be self-supporting as far as Socialist speakers go.—T.B.